Mandated community meeting full of information but lacking public input.

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Updated: 10:15 AM CDT Mar 30, 2017

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WEBVTT VOLLEYBETWEEN THOSE LEADERS ANDACTIVISTS.ORLEANS SHERIFF MARLIN GUSMANAND COMPLIANCE DIRECTOR GARYMAYNARD, REPORTING ON PROGRESSMADE AT THE PARISH JAIL, TO NEARLY EMPTY ROOM.I COUNTED EVERYBODY SITTINGHERE.60% OF THE PEOPLE IN HEREREPRESENT THE SHERIFF'SDEPARTMENT.THIS IS NOT A COMMUNITY MEETING.JENNIFER: SOME SAID THEY ONLYHAD TWO DAYS NOTICE FOR THEFIRST EVER COMMUNITY MEETIMANDATED BY FEDERAL CONSENTDECREE.OTHERS SAID FAMILIES OF INMATESWERE NEVER INFORMED.THOSE AT THE MEETING, ASKEDQUESTIONS ABOUT SAFETY, ANDCITED A MARCH 17 INCIDENT, WHEA DEPUTY LEFT A UNIT IN THE JAILWITH HIS OPEN, UNLOCKED COMPUTERINSIDE.>> IMMIDEATELY THE INMATEUNLOCKED SOME CELLS, LET INMATESOUT.THEY STARTED BARRICADING THEDOOR WITH THE FURNITURE.JENNIFER: MAYNARD SAID GUARDSREGAINED CONTROL, PUSHING THEIRWAY BACK IN WITH SHIELDS.AND IT'S THE KIND OF THING,SHERIFF GUSMAN SAID IS A SYMPTOMOF ALWAYS OPERATING IN THE REDGREXIT THAT'S REALLY NOT A WAYTO BUDGET, NOT A WAY TO PLAN,NOT A WAY TO OPERATE A CRITICALPART OF PUBLIC SAFETY.NOW WE HAVE A PLAN MOVINGFORWARD AND THAT'S GOING TO MAKEA BIG DIFFERENCE.JENNIFER THE DIFFERENCE 8.8MILLION DOLLARS ADDED TO THE NEWORLEANS PARISH SHARES BUDGET FORA TOTAL OF $50.8 MILLION THISYEAR.THE SHERIFFS SAYS HE WILL BEFULLY STAFFED WITH HUNDRED 11MORE DEPUTIES IN PLACE B JULYAND HE SAYS IT WILL BE OPERATINGTHE ORLEANS JUSTICE CENTER ATMAX CAPACITY.MAX CAPACITY DOES NOT MEAN EVERYINMATE UNDER ORLEANS PARISHCONTROL WILL BE HOUSED AT THEJUSTICE CENTER HERE.THERE ARE SIMPLY NOT ENOUGHBEDS.SOME WILL STILL BE HOUSED OUT OFTHE PARISH.THE NEXT COMMUNITY MEETING WILLBE IN JULY, ALTHOUGH A DATE HASNOT BEEN ANNOUNCED YET.REPORTING AT THE ORLEANS JUSTICECENTER, JENNIFER CROCKETT, WDSU

In an exclusive interview with WDSU, Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman said the idea that Orleans Justice Center inmates are common criminals is a myth. “What we want to do is have jail for violent offenders and for those offenders that are just habitual, career (criminals) that just don't get it,” Gusman said. “They need sanctions, but not the occasional person who has that weed on them.”Gusman said two-thirds of the inmates are charged with violent crimes or weapons offenses. Gusman said that until now, the parish jail hasn't had enough money to adequately handle the potentially violent inmates it houses. But now, he said, that is changing.The sheriff spoke with WDSU reporter Jennifer Crockett after the first community meeting Thursday, mandated by the federal consent decree, where he and compliance director Gary Maynard outlined progress at the jail, as well as plans to improve training, deputy recruitment and operations.But public turnout at the meeting was minimal and almost all of the questions came from justice-reform activists. One such community leader said he counted the people in the room and found 60 percent were representatives of the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office.“This is not a community meeting,” he said.Gusman and Maynard said vast improvements are coming to the Justice Center after the March approval of an increased budget. OPSO chief financial officer Sean Bruno said the 2017 increase is $8.8 million more than the average budget for the department in recent years and totals $50.8 million.With the money, the sheriff said 111 open positions will be filled and the Justice Center will be operating at max capacity with a full staff of deputies in place by July. However, some inmates under Orleans Parish control will still be housed at centers outside of the parish because there are more inmates than beds.Only 600 inmates are currently housed at the Orleans Justice Center. Approximately 800 inmates were sent to other facilities in the state while deputies received 12-weeks of additional training.Gusman said he also plans to move juveniles out of the Justice Center by next summer. A new facility for mental health inmates with a total of 89 beds is set to be completed in 2019.Community meetings are required to be held quarterly. Gusman said the next meeting will be in July, although an exact date has not been announced.Keep up with local news, weather and current events with the WDSU app here. Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news right in your inbox. Click here to sign up!

NEW ORLEANS —

In an exclusive interview with WDSU, Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman said the idea that Orleans Justice Center inmates are common criminals is a myth.

“What we want to do is have jail for violent offenders and for those offenders that are just habitual, career (criminals) that just don't get it,” Gusman said. “They need sanctions, but not the occasional person who has that weed on them.”

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Gusman said two-thirds of the inmates are charged with violent crimes or weapons offenses. Gusman said that until now, the parish jail hasn't had enough money to adequately handle the potentially violent inmates it houses. But now, he said, that is changing.

The sheriff spoke with WDSU reporter Jennifer Crockett after the first community meeting Thursday, mandated by the federal consent decree, where he and compliance director Gary Maynard outlined progress at the jail, as well as plans to improve training, deputy recruitment and operations.

But public turnout at the meeting was minimal and almost all of the questions came from justice-reform activists. One such community leader said he counted the people in the room and found 60 percent were representatives of the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office.

“This is not a community meeting,” he said.

Gusman and Maynard said vast improvements are coming to the Justice Center after the March approval of an increased budget. OPSO chief financial officer Sean Bruno said the 2017 increase is $8.8 million more than the average budget for the department in recent years and totals $50.8 million.

With the money, the sheriff said 111 open positions will be filled and the Justice Center will be operating at max capacity with a full staff of deputies in place by July. However, some inmates under Orleans Parish control will still be housed at centers outside of the parish because there are more inmates than beds.

Only 600 inmates are currently housed at the Orleans Justice Center. Approximately 800 inmates were sent to other facilities in the state while deputies received 12-weeks of additional training.

Gusman said he also plans to move juveniles out of the Justice Center by next summer. A new facility for mental health inmates with a total of 89 beds is set to be completed in 2019.

Community meetings are required to be held quarterly. Gusman said the next meeting will be in July, although an exact date has not been announced.